Health Profile of Mesa County, Colorado
Mesa County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Mesa County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mesa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.9% | 7.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.2% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mesa County is 78.4 years, about 1.6 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0 years. The uninsured rate is 9.9%, higher than the Colorado average of 7.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by about the same share of residents as in Colorado, at 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
59,329 residents in Mesa County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,615 1,337 men · 2,279 women
- 75–84 8,911 4,052 men · 4,858 women
- 65–74 16,970 8,071 men · 8,898 women
- 50–64 29,833 14,500 men · 15,333 women
Younger residents
32,200 residents in Mesa County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 10,027 5,395 boys · 4,632 girls
- 7–12 9,735 4,918 boys · 4,817 girls
- 3–7 7,319 3,606 boys · 3,713 girls
- 0–3 5,119 2,594 boys · 2,525 girls
About 8,981 residents in Mesa County (5.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mesa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.5% | 9.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.0% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.9% | 26.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Mesa County are about the same as in Colorado.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mesa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.3% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.2% | 17.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.2% | 19.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mesa County are about the same as in Colorado.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 205,212 cigarettes a day, 6.2 million a month, or 74.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.3 million minutes a day and 823.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mesa County is 78.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Mesa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.86 | 4.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mesa County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Mesa County, CO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mesa County, CO is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 158,600 residents against a local median of 31,598. Mesa County, CO's uninsured, at 9.9%, runs 25% below the 13.3% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.1% on uninsured, so Mesa County, CO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mesa County, CO has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa County, CO | 158,600 | 78.4 yrs #6/6 | 9.9% #2/6 | 27.9% #6/6 |
| Delta County, CO | 31,598 | 78.9 yrs | 12.0% | 26.5% |
| Montrose County, CO | 43,807 | 79.4 yrs | 13.3% | 27.3% |
| Garfield County, CO | 62,477 | 81.3 yrs | 15.6% | 22.9% |
| Rio Blanco County, CO | 6,544 | 79.0 yrs | 9.5% | 26.0% |
| San Miguel County, CO | 7,968 | 80.4 yrs | 15.2% | 24.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mesa County, Colorado has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Colorado, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Mesa County, Colorado.
Is Mesa County, Colorado a healthy place to live?
Mesa County, Colorado has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Mesa County, Colorado one of the healthiest counties in Colorado?
Mesa County ranks 32nd healthiest out of 62 counties in Colorado by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Mesa County, Colorado?
People in Mesa County, Colorado can expect to live 78.4 years on average, 1.6 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Mesa County, Colorado?
9.9% of residents in Mesa County, Colorado have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 2.1 points above the Colorado rate of 7.7%.
How common is obesity in Mesa County, Colorado?
27.9% of adults in Mesa County, Colorado are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 1.6 points above the Colorado rate of 26.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mesa County, Colorado go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 205,212 cigarettes a day, 6.2 million a month, or 74.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.3 million minutes a day and 823.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mesa County is 78.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 lifetimes a year.
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